On the Couch
by Darkness Alit
Summary: Josak decides to give Yuri a bit of advice.


A sigh broke the silence of the library.

Josak glanced reflexively in the direction, blocked as he knew it was by bookshelves. After a moment of contemplation he returned to his book.

A few minutes later, as he'd expected, another sigh reached his ears.

With a roll of his eyes he closed the book and got to his feet, yawning and stretching. Most people didn't consider him the type to read often, save when necessary, but the truth was he liked to read. He just never seemed able to get _time_.

He shrugged and abandoned the book like many others, knowing when he could return the book would have been shelved somewhere else and he wouldn't remember having started it if he ever found it again. Around the shelves, and he clapped a hand onto a black-clad shoulder. "Come with me, kiddo."

Yuri blinked at him but got up obediently enough, well used to Josak's quirks and the unorthodox relationship they had grown into. He did quirk a brow when Josak locked them in Yuri's office, but didn't ask.

Josak studied him for a long while, deciding how to play this. When the kid first came to their world, he'd have goaded him into seeing things Josak's way. That time was long past, though, as Josak respected him too much to manipulate him in such a manner. Back then those wide eyes would get wider before narrowing, indignation and righteous anger making them almost seem to glow for a moment.

Now, though, those black eyes were narrower, never as innocently wide, and shocked very rarely by anyone—usually following the Great Sage's reasoning the best of anyone, to much general surprise.

He could still manipulate, though he supposed, considering that they could call themselves friends, there was probably a better word for it. Persuasion, maybe.

Whatever—the kid was sharp enough and old enough to be quick and confident in many things.

Just not the one that had him sighing so damned often these last few months. "He's never going to make a move, you know."

A long, slow blink, and then the kiddo laughed, the tone proving to anyone who was blind how much he'd matured since arriving. "Just jump right in, don't you?" he asked in amusement, before moving to the chairs and couch he'd ordered for his office, against general advice.

He and Josak had gotten enough mileage out of them, though, for them to be well worth it. Josak found the usual groove on the couch, resting his hands behind his head, gauging Yuri's mood from the way he sat down; feet both firmly on the floor, body leaning to the side, chin on his knuckles as he propped his elbow on the chair's arm. "Should I have broken it easy for you, majesty?"

Yuri flicked his hand irritably, and Josak closed his eyes with a lazy smile. "No need."

"I know."

"Am I really so transparent?"

Josak opened his eyes, seeing the slight frown he'd expected. "It's been obvious since I met you that you'd be at this point someday."

"Someday?"

"At the time you were still denying the possibility, if I recall correctly."

"And you know you do."

"True."

"Does…"

There were a lot of ways that question could end, so Josak stayed quiet.

"Does everyone…"

"Pretty much the whole castle is waiting for something to happen, yeah. Most are in one or another of the betting pools, too."

"Pools? Plural?" His eyes had widened.

"Well, it was obvious who won the first one, so they started placing bets on who would make the first move and when. There are even a few out for after you two _finally_ get together. How long before you'll be engaged, how long you'll be engaged before the wedding, what each of you will wear at the wedding… There used to be one on how many things your ex would torch between engagement and wedding, but that one was called off."

Yuri snorted and ran a hand through his hair, shifting into a more languid position, sideways in the chair, one knee hooked over the arm of the chair, facing slightly more away than towards Josak. "There is one good thing out of this whole spork-knife mess."

Josak shrugged, closing his eyes again as he waited.

"Are you… are you sure? About him, I mean."

He couldn't contain a snort. "You kidding? Shoot, kiddo, I could have told you that one years ago."

"Then why won't he?"

"You can answer that, or you don't know him as well as we both think you do."

"But… he knows me better than you do—surely he can see it, too?"

"Seeing that the one you love but believe you can never be with is in love with you as well isn't the easiest thing. He's got a bit of a blindside when it comes to things that could make him happy, as well."

"Can never be with?"

As expected, the kiddo focused in on the important bit. Josak smiled to himself—this persuasion thing just got easier with time. "Mm-hmm." He peeked from under his lashes to see the irritated set to the younger half-demon's jaw.

It was quickly turning to ire. "That… idiot! Gods, Josak! Why must he always be so, so…"

"Him?"

Yuri snorted a short laugh, his anger collapsing. "Him. You're right. Damn it all. What the hell am I supposed to do, then? I'm not… I'm still too…"

"You're afraid you'd botch up a confession."

"Yeah. And he'd be so… _him_ that I'd be scared off another attempt for quite a time." Yuri sighed and then growled, adding under his breath, "And it's been long enough already."

_Hear, hear_, Josak thought. He held a deep breath as he considered, letting it out slowly. "Well, they do say actions speak louder than words."

"Thank goodness, otherwise I'd be sure I'm just a job to him."

Josak opened his eyes and just stared until Yuri glanced over, an innocent blink given before he feigned understanding.

"Oh, that was your _advice_. How silly of me."

Josak chuckled and closed his eyes again.

Yuri sighed. "Sadly, I've known that for months."

Josak was startled into sitting up at that. "What?"

Yuri's eyes were laughing at him, the smile mostly hidden by his fingers. "I've been trying to figure out how to _act_ for him to know it's alright, it's _welcome_… but so far I can't think of anything that wouldn't have him immediately talking to Anissina to find out what her recent experiments have been."

He had to chuckle, even as he noted the time and stretched his way to his feet. "Well, you've got to make the first move."

"Mm," was the noncommittal response.

"Preferably sometime in the next two months," he ruffled longish black hair as he passed, "or else I'll lose the bet." He unlocked the door and had it half-open before Yuri realized what he'd said.

"Josak!" Yuri shot to his feet and was about to follow when the door snapped fully open, Josak jumping back to keep his nose intact, stumbling into Yuri who caught him awkwardly just as Gunter—with one of the maids just around a corner, of course, started to sweep in.

He took one look at them, clapped a hand to his nose, and departed with muffled words of apology.

Yuri sighed.

Josak blinked. "Hey, this may improve my odds."

The smack to the back of his head was entirely warranted. He wasn't sure being dropped was.


End file.
